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Unknow cause of death in whole cage

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So many animals in such a short period of time! So sorry for your losses :(
Is the surviving baby defo blind just in one eye or both, have you checked their hearing? The baby rabbits, are their eyes open yet? Cos it could be fireworks, they will be the only ones immune because they can't see the flashes?/
 
Considering the circumstances, and information you have provided, when taking everthing into consideration, personally, I believe that these deaths are related to diet, contaminated food, or water! Therefore, more information on the animals' diet would be greatly appreciated!

However, a bacterial infection, or virus should not be ruled out, and I would echo the sentiments of others, and would encourage your daughter to have an autopsy performed on at least one of the guinea pigs, and one of the rabbits! Unfortunately, if these deaths were caused by a bacterial infection, or virus, there is the possibility that your daughter may lose one, or more of her remaining companions!

Your daugther has my deepest sympathy for her unimaginable lose!
 
Ugh- that's awful! I'm so sorry! Was there any sudden change in temperature or something that changed suddenly in the environment? Or a new batch of food introduced? Pesticide in the area?

My initial thought would be to consider some environmental exposure... if it was viral/bacterial it would have to be something very fast-moving as they all died at the same time... no obvious staggering in symptoms as one individual infects another across time.

Could she do a post-mortem on one, which may give her some answers? And I would separate the survivor from other animals, in case it is a contagious disease.
 
I am so sorry for your losses. I believe it might be heatstroke from reading other replies. We have had 40 degree days so that might be the case. Hope you find the reason for certain, Guineagurl
 
Pebble said:
A few points I would like to clarify when trying to shed some light on what may have caused this:
a) All the animals that have passed away suddenly were either pregnant or had recently given birth? That said the baby guinea pigs also passed but the baby rabbits didn't?
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Two fo the guinea pigs had given birth, one the day before who had 5 beautiful babies, the other had 3 babies almost 2 weeks ago. The other one was due to give birth any day so was heavily pregnant. One baby survived but he was out in the pen by himself. As he is partly blind he wasn't as active as the others. My daughter had taken the baby rabbits to feed the night before so they weren't in the cage with the guinea pigs. The mother of the rabbits died suddenly the day before.

Pebble said:
b) Were all the pregnant Rabbits and guinea pigs originally kept together in the same hutch or just allowed to share the same run?
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All the guinea pigs and the rabbits shared the same run although had separate areas to sleep in. Although as they have all grown up together you would often find them lying in one of the many little tunnels and hidey areas side by side. In fact couple of the rabbits acted more like guinea pigs than rabbits and i am sure that's what they thought they where.

Pebble said:
c) Are they kept outdoors or in a shed? what is the current temperature as I note you are in Oz.
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They spend most of the time in the outdoors but the guinea pigs lived in a shed which they can go in and out of at any time. The temperatures here have been from one extreme to the other. Yesterday a storm came over suddenly and it was freezing. An hour later it was hot and steamy. I have suggested to my daughter that even though the hutch was extremely large and in the shade the inside of the box would have been hotter than the shed as it has a much lower roof. The hutch also has a very small run compared to the others. The 1 survivor was out in the run while the others where all in the box which to my way of thinking would have made it very hot with all of the body heat as well as the days temperature which I think was somewhere in the 30's.

Pebble said:
d) Given there are so many pregant/nursing sows/does - are they any boy rabbits/piggies around and are they affected at all?.
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She has 2 boy rabbits. One is kept seperate, but is currently staying at a friends place. She lost the other one on the same day she lost her mother rabbit. She has 2 or 3 piggies left and they are fine. Happily running around with their usual healthy appetites. Although they are still sharing their run with the rabbits like they all used to before she moved the others to a big hutch.


Thank you so very much for such informative information, I will make sure my daughter reads what you have written to make sure she is aware of everything that you have written.
 
paulag said:
The lady has Victoria Australia as her location. It could have been heatstroke to loose them all suddenly with so previous symptoms, or alternatively are there and native snakes or spiders that could have attacked them?

Paula
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We actally wondered at one point about a snake but thought the snake would have possibly have eaten them. We are considering heatstroke due the fluctuating weather, but she is keeping a carefull watch on all the animals at the moment just in case it is something else.
 
Abi_nurse said:
I'm really sorry i cannot be of much advice to you. I'm so sorry for you great loss. I think most people have covered the possible causes. The only best bet is a post mortem to be honest.

x.
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Spoke to the vet but they said that they where unable to do one at this point. They have suggested that if there are any other losses to bring the animal in straight away.
 
BonBon2010 said:
So many animals in such a short period of time! So sorry for your losses :(
Is the surviving baby defo blind just in one eye or both, have you checked their hearing? The baby rabbits, are their eyes open yet? Cos it could be fireworks, they will be the only ones immune because they can't see the flashes?/
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I just spoke to my daughter on the phone and the surviors are doing wonderfully. My daughter is doing a great job at this point. The rabbits eyes are all open and they are running around like mad. One yesterday was snuggled next to her leg and when she finished feeding one and put it down this other hopped on her lap for his turn. Amazing for 2 weeks old. Thankfully their mum did such a great job in the short time.

She woke this morning to the baby guinea pig crying to be fed and said as soon as she went to their box he put his head up straight away sniffing. She said he just scoffs down his food. One of his eyes when he was born kept closing and then closed fully so she thought it had fused. This morning his eye has opened. She said the fur near his eye was very short and she thinks this may have been poking into his eye, so will be interesting to see how this turns out. She hasn't tested for hearing at this point.
 
Guinea-pigGaga said:
Considering the circumstances, and information you have provided, when taking everthing into consideration, personally, I believe that these deaths are related to diet, contaminated food, or water! Therefore, more information on the animals' diet would be greatly appreciated!.
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She always has a bought small animal food mix available for them as well as feeding them things such as brocolli, carrots, celery and lots of grass from my place (cause it grows quicker than I can mow)

Guinea-pigGaga said:
However, a bacterial infection, or virus should not be ruled out, and I would echo the sentiments of others, and would encourage your daughter to have an autopsy performed on at least one of the guinea pigs, and one of the rabbits! Unfortunately, if these deaths were caused by a bacterial infection, or virus, there is the possibility that your daughter may lose one, or more of her remaining companions.
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We susupected that the rabbits that died might have contracted the Calcivirus because the deaths where so fast. But this is not supposed to affect guinea pigs. We scrubbed, cleaned and disinfected everything we could then feed the remaining rabbits grass sprayed with colloidial silver. The guinea pigs that where in with the rabbits ate this as well, but not the mums or the babies as they had been moved and we where thinking along the lines of a virus that is fatal to rabbits. So although we are thinking heat stroke if there had been some sort of virus the colloidal silver may have actually saved the others by killing off any possible virus.
 
Freela said:
Ugh- that's awful! I'm so sorry! Was there any sudden change in temperature or something that changed suddenly in the environment? Or a new batch of food introduced? Pesticide in the area?

Could she do a post-mortem on one, which may give her some answers? And I would separate the survivor from other animals, in case it is a contagious disease.
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There was a huge change of environment when they where moved from there shed and big outdoor run to a large hutch, but even thought it was large it was still very small compared to where they had been.

Due to the vets being closed it was to late to do a post-mortem so all we can do is if anything happens to any of the others is take them straight to the vet then in the hope that if it is a virus we can find out what it is.
 
I am so pleased to hear that your daughter's remaining animals are well, Tamarindtouch - Considering the fact that all remaining animals are well, I believe that the cause is not a bacterial infection, or virus!

However, were all three guinea pig sows, and their pups, excluding the surviving pup, well?!
 
Guinea-pigGaga said:
I am so pleased to hear that your daughter's remaining animals are well, Tamarindtouch - Considering the fact that all remaining animals are well, I believe that the cause is not a bacterial infection, or virus!

However, were all three guinea pig sows, and their pups, excluding the surviving pup, well?!
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They where all well and healthy with none of them showing any signs of problems. She was out with them a few hours before showing off the 5 new babies to her sister and didn't notice any problems then.
 
Tamarindtouch, other than guinea pigs, and rabbits, does you daughter have other animal companions?! Or are there other animals in the area that have access to your daughter's property?!
 
Could it have been a fox or rat trying to get in? Piggies can die from fright.
 
Guinea-pigGaga said:
Tamarindtouch, other than guinea pigs, and rabbits, does you daughter have other animal companions?! Or are there other animals in the area that have access to your daughter's property?!
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Apart from the guinea pigs and rabbits my daughter has a canary that her partners father gave her last year. This is inside though and nowhere near the other animals.

Wiebke said:
Could it have been a fox or rat trying to get in? Piggies can die from fright.
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Am pretty sure it wouldn't have been a fix, but a rat I can't guarantee. We have had a drought her for years and I know that this is only the 2nd time in 10 years that I have ended up with mice in my house, probably as it has been so wet. So there is always the possibility of rats being around more as well.
 
Hi All,

Guinea-pigGaga:

I'll totally agree with you that this cannot be virus or bacteria infection. That will take time. And with that amount GP and rabbits at least ONE of them will show you that something is not right. And Definitely NOT in the same time.

Wiebke:

Piggies can die being frighted, but I don't think all in the same time.

My thoughts will be with sudden temperature change: BP are susceptible for it, ARE Rabbits as well? Or 3rd party (dodgy neighbours). Is there bush wall behind hutches? Maybe someone run petrol engine there?

For me it sounds like poisoned death: eider gas (fumes, CO, CO2) or food/drink (maybe that's why only the smallest managed to stayed alive not being able to drink/eat fast/being separated from main colony?)

But.. that's only thoughts... and Sorry for being so negative: in the past I've lost my dog because of neighbour, he didn't like it to bark... and 2 cats.
 
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This is a very sad thread to read I'm so sorry for your losses:-(.
Unfortunately I am thinking it sounds like foul play - only a toxicology report from your vet will determine this however I'm thinking that some horrible person has likely done this by feeding them all poisoned food while they were all in the rabbit run? That explains how the weakest ones wernt affected as they didn't eat any or not enough of the poision. Either that or a highly toxic plant was put in there with them? Has the garden access to passers by? How easy would it be for someone to do this unseen? Either someone with a grudge or idiot vandals - I would be really considering this as a possibility and be reporting it to the police - there may be other cases similar in the area and the police may help with clues as to whether this was likely a criminal act? I hope you get to the bottom of it whatever the cause and I pray that I'm wrong in this case but thought it should be considered. Hugs xxxxxx
 
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